ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. race — humankind
  11. face — to confront
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. race — a contest
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. key — in music
  19. face — part of the head
  20. kick — in football
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitch — completely
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bat — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com